


Resonance

by ughno



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Zero, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Izuru is emotionally stunted, Lovers to Friends, M/M, Meaning that he's still capable of having emotions, Memory Loss, Mutual Pining, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, but at what cost
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2020-03-19 12:25:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18969250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ughno/pseuds/ughno
Summary: It had always been Hinata and Kamukura, Kamukura and Hinata, and it was odd to see one without the other.At least, that's what he thought anyway.(Or alternatively; Izuru moves away and takes part in a risky experiment. He loses his ability to feel and his memories prior to the surgery, making him a completely different person than he was a decade ago.)





	1. Bitter Beginning

The little boy sat on the swing alone, his eyes wet with tears and snot dripping down from his nose. He hastily wipes it off and sniffles, pushing himself back and forth with his feet. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop shaking, and the tears only fell again.

Izuru Kamukura had always been a quiet kid. His parents were always amazed at how withdrawn he was, even when it comes to crying. Although he wanted nothing but to break and let it all out, he manages to keep his composure and blinked his tears away. He felt like the life he’d been living was crumbling down pieces by pieces, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Izuru! There you are!” A tiny figure in the distance shouted, sprinting towards his companion.

He eventually slowed down to a stop and frowned, concern washing over him.

The brunet had never seen his friend cry before. Izuru was always bright and cheerful, making him the peacemaker of their friend group. He raised his voice once or twice, but Hinata had never seen him in this state.  
“Hajime…!” The boy took one look at the other and bursts into tears once again, turning his head away and covering his face with his hands.

Izuru was always treated well by his parents. That was why he was confused when they declared that they were moving away from the town altogether. It was difficult for him to comprehend the reason. His father already has a job here, so why move? He won’t be able to be with his friend anymore.

“Hey, why are you crying?” Izuru watched as Hinata glanced around the playground, whereas nobody but them seems to be in sight. “Did somebody make fun of you?”

“...I’m moving.” He said, eyes darting to the side. “My daddy found a new job, so now we have to move. It’s not fair.”

His friend was silent for a moment, letting the news sink into him. “H-Huh?! You’re leaving? But you said we were gonna play tomorrow! You can’t just leave!”

Izuru frowned, clenching his fists tightly. “I know. I don’t want to leave… but face it, Hajime. There’s no way out of this. I tried convincing my mommy, but she wouldn’t do anything about it. We’re going to leave… and I’m scared. What if the people at my new school hate me? I’d be nothing without you!”

His friend’s eyes softened. He reached out and lightly grabbed his hands, his face filled with determination.

“Izuru… I don’t want you to leave either. But I think you’ll be fine. You’re a good friend, and you’re an amazing person. Everyone would love you!”

He paused, scanning the other’s face for any signs of a reaction. The longer haired boy nodded, his heart clenching in anxiety. Although he wanted to believe Hinata, Izuru still can’t fully accept those words.

“And… Izuru. I won’t ever forget about you. One day, we’ll meet and we’ll become friends again. You’ll be my best friend forever, right?” He smiled gently, and the other couldn’t help but wipe away his remaining tears and nodded brightly himself.  
“You promise?”

Hinata extended his pinky finger and looked at him innocently. “Of course. It’s a pinky promise…! You can’t break a pinky promise. Even though that’s a girlish thing to say…”

Izuru hesitated slightly, before bringing his pinky up as well. They connected them and Hinata laughed lightheartedly.

He brushed back a lock of hair from the smaller boy’s face and stared into his bright crimson eyes - there was no way he would forget somebody like Izuru, especially with his distinctive appearance.

He knew for sure that they were going to meet again someday. And Izuru felt exactly the same.

_“It’s a promise.”_

* * *

“You’re lucky that you survived that experiment. If some fragile idiot took part in this, they would’ve been killed before the surgery even begun.”

Izuru sat up from the hospital bed as the neurologist carefully plugged out the cords from his body. The man didn’t respond to the comment, and instead swung his feet to the side of his bed and waited for his daily checkup to finish.

So boring.

“Yasuke Matsuda. You’re quite the expert, aren’t you? I heard they used your research for the experiment.”

The man - Yasuke Matsuda - huffed, and grabbed his clipboard from the counter and started writing down something. Izuru’s eyes never once tore away from him.

“Yeah, well, shut up. I wasn’t too happy about this fucking experiment to begin with. But this goddamn school and the assholic researchers won’t leave me alone. Apparently, I was the only one fit for the job.” He huffed, before hastily writing down the last of his notes and putting the clipboard down once again.

Izuru’s face remained stoic as the man continued grumbling, walking to one of his cabinets and grabbing a bottle of pills from the countless containers of medicine lined up neatly.

“And fuck, I’m glad that it went successfully. They would’ve disposed of you if it didn’t. I thought somebody as keen as you would’ve known what you were getting yourself into.”

He, again, didn’t elicit a response. Matsuda took that as a chance to continue.

“In fact, I hardly recognize you. They really didn’t care about what would become of your emotional state, huh?” It was more of a rhetorical question than anything, but Izuru shrugged. He didn’t recall anything before the surgery, which meant that he could care less about his former wellbeing.

Not even the success of the experiment mattered much to him, either. And he certainly wasn’t bothered by the researchers' enthusiasm over his outstanding abilities. They were all so predictable, all too boring. Acknowledging them would be a waste of his time and effort.

Matsuda sighed and opened the bottle of pills, taking two of them out and handing them to Izuru.

“Here. Your medication. It’s crucial that you continue taking these frequently. Although the experiment went well, there could still be some minor flaws and setbacks. That’s why we’re monitoring how you’re doing every day. It’s a fucking hassle, and I hate it.”

Izuru silently took the pills and swallowed them dry. To be frank, he didn’t care for what Matsuda feels. He found the checkups to be just as tedious.

“Have they given you your schedule yet? Although your abilities have been enhanced, they still want to see how well you’re able to fit in at a normal classroom setting. So instead of moving you to a special course, you’ll have to deal with a bunch of shitty teenagers.”

“No, they haven’t said anything to me yet.”

Matsuda grimaced, his forehead slightly creasing. “Those frog brained idiots… I can’t believe I have to do everything myself. At this rate, I’ll grow white hair before I turn fifty.”

“That is not possible. Naturally, grey hair at your age would be induced by a vitamin B-12 deficiency, unless it’s been caused by genetics. Hair follicles contain pigment cells that produce melanin, which give your tresses color. When those cells stop generating them, then your hair would present itself as white, grey, or silver.”

“Shut the fuck up, Izuru Kamukura. That was a goddamn expression.”

Izuru didn’t do anything but stare. Matsuda facepalmed and groaned, plopping himself down onto the office chair and rolling it back to his desk. He took a few minutes typing something up on the computer and printed it out, handing it to Izuru.

“Here’s your stupid schedule. Please keep in mind that you absolutely have to follow the requirements and not fall behind your studies. I’m pretty sure a smartass like you is more than capable of doing that. Classes start tomorrow, please stop by my office before then.”

Izuru took the piece of paper and stared at it for no more than a few seconds, before crumpling it up and throwing it in the nearby trash can.

“Hey, I wasted my expensive ink printing that out for you. God, you’re so fucking ungrateful.” He shook his head and waved him off. “Don’t tell me you have a photographic memory too.”

“I do.”

“Of course you fucking do. Whatever, I have a meeting to attend so I’ll have to check up on that another time. Now please get the fuck out before I burst a blood vessel.”

Izuru nodded and compliantly stood up, gracefully making his way to the door. “Goodbye, Matsuda.”

Matsuda only watched, feeling irked at the mere presence of the all too perfect man. He even looked well taking his leave. He clenched his fists and sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Sometimes he really hated his job. 

 

* * *

 

It didn’t bother Hinata that they were going to have a new classmate joining their class today. In fact, he barely paid any mind to the news. While his friends were bubbly speaking about how they imagined the new student to be like, his mind was elsewhere.

He didn’t realize that he was spaced out until a voice interrupted his empty thoughts.

“Oi, Hinata!” Souda Kazuichi, one of his classmates and good friends approached him, a toothy grin spread across his face. “You okay bud? You seemed kind of lost.”

Hinata blinked and awkwardly returned the smile, nodding in acknowledgment. “Hey, Souda. I’m doing alright, thanks for asking.”

Souda nodded, before immediately lowering his voice and started his daily routine of bad mouthing one of the other students in the class. Hinata could only halfheartedly listen as he started complaining about Gundham Tanaka - a very kind guy if he was being honest - and his relationship with one of the most popular girls in the school.

At first, it’d bothered Hinata that Souda wouldn’t leave the poor couple alone, but he eventually got used to it after a few months.

He was already starting to space out again when his friend said something that caught his attention.

“Did you hear about the new student? I thought he was a cute girl at first but I was _sooo_ wrong. He totally deceived me with that long hair of his.”

Hinata perked up and eyed him strangely. “Huh? You’ve already met the new student?”

Souda tilted his head slightly and frowned deeply. “Well… not really. I saw him in the hallways earlier this morning. I had to come early in order to organize for my club activities. Y’know, since I’m the leader and all. You should totally join.”

Hinata nodded, absentmindedly ignoring the last bit of information. “Did you two talk?”

“Uhh, no. He happened to glance at me though. And he doesn’t look friendly at all. I immediately tensed up and ran when he saw me, which was probably a coward thing to do. But hey, it serves him right! I hate creeps!”

 _‘You’re one to speak.’_ He silently thought, before nodding and turning his attention back to the window.

“Hey, dude. You seem super out of it today. I’m sort of offended.”

Hinata playfully scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Sorry about that. My head’s been in the clouds recently and it’s been affecting my behavior.”

Before their conversation could continue, the teacher started speaking. Ms. Yukizome’s voice rang clearly in front of the entire classroom, and everyone immediately drifted into silence once they see the new figure next to her.

Hinata tilted his head at the extremely pale student and furrowed his brows. He had very long, flowing hair and his eyes were sullen and carmine. He wore a dark, black suit with a matching tie. The aura surrounding him was intimidating, and he was sure that the rest of his classmates thought so as well.

His face didn’t betray a single emotion as all 16 students had their eyes on him. For some reason, Hinata felt strangely uneasy.

“Good morning, class! I have a new student that will be joining us today! Would you like to introduce yourself?”

The man didn’t skip a beat. His voice was strong and clear as he stood forward and said his introduction. “My name is Izuru Kamukura and I will be joining Class 77-E from now on until the end of the year. I hope that we can get acquainted.” He bowed, and Yukizome smiled pleasantly.

“I hope you can all welcome Kamukura-kun with open arms and treat him with respect. Our classroom representative, Nanami-san, could teach you how things work around here. But for now, feel free to take a seat at any of the open desks.”

Hinata watched as Izuru made his way down the aisle and took a seat at the back of the class. Whispers immediately erupted.

“Geez, he’s so formal that it’s stupid,” Souda mused, and shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to mess with him. He looks like the type of person who totally tries too hard to be cool. Like, that itself is already so not cool.”

But Hinata wasn’t listening.

Izuru Kamukura? As in, _his_ Izuru Kamukura?

The same familiar red eyes, the same familiar long hair (which used to be to his shoulders, but was now drooping all the way down to his feet), and the same facial features. There wasn’t any doubt in his mind that this was the boy he was friends with almost a decade ago.

_Though, there was something much different about him that he couldn’t quite pinpoint._

The class soon started and the day was normal as always. Not much people were bothered by the presence of a new person in the classroom. But Hinata couldn’t bring himself to shake the excitement from his body. He was finally going to speak to his best friend again. Sure, some of their time and adventures together have slipped from his memories, but that doesn’t mean that he would forget about the sweet and delicate Izuru he had once proclaimed as the closest person in his life.

When the bell rang, Hinata immediately stood up and made his way towards the man.

“Bro, where are you going? Are you not going to eat lunch with me and Kuzuryu?” Souda asked.

Hinata shook his head in response. “Not today, sorry. I have something to do.”

Souda hesitantly stares but finally nodded, walking out of the classroom. Students flooded out, and eventually, there were only a few people left in the room.

The man sat idly, staring out at the window with a bored expression on his face. His heart quickened when he realized for sure that it really was Izuru Kamukura. Time certainly did have an effect on his appearance. He wasn't bad looking at all.

He mentally prepared himself and reviewed all the ways on how he could approach this conversation.

“Izuru…!” He cried out, his eyes lighting up as he said his name. How long as it been since he’s actually said that name out loud? “It’s me, Hajime. I’ve missed you so much!”

Izuru looked up, his stoic expression never once changing. There was no look of recognition on his face whatsoever, and he didn’t smile either. Hinata’s heart dropped. _Did he not remember him?_

He half-expected him to suddenly answer, acknowledging the times they’ve spent together, but he was met with complete and utter disappointment when the man finally opened his mouth to respond.

“I don’t know you.”

He frowned and blinked, standing there like a fool. Instead of saying something regular in response, all he could do was stutter.

“H-Huh? It’s me, Hinata Hajime. Your old friend?” Izuru only stared before turning his attention back to the window. Was he just going to ignore him?

Maybe he was presumptuous, too overconfident in himself for thinking that the man would recall a childhood friend he lost connections with nearly a decade ago. It was embarrassing, to say the least, and Hinata wanted to disappear right then and there.

“As I said, I don’t know you.”

It was upsetting, to say the least. But all he could respond with was a simple ‘oh’.

Eventually, he walked off, mumbling a quick ‘sorry, wrong person’, and made his way out of the classroom.

He didn’t notice how Izuru watched him for a quick second before drawing his attention back to nothingness.  


* * *

  
Izuru was getting tired of being stuck in a classroom with a bunch of people he didn't care about. He usually wouldn’t respond to idle chit chat, but something about the previous man felt different.

He looked average and boring, just like the rest. But he couldn’t help but wonder what his intentions were. Apparently, they'd knew each other before Izuru partook in the surgery.

 _...Predictable._ If he were to indulge the man in a conversation, where would it lead to? It wasn’t as if he had any desire to befriend anyone. And he didn't have the urge to find out who he was before the experiment, either. This meant that Hinata Hajime’s existence meant nothing to him.

Even though he’d thought that, the image of the man’s face wouldn’t leave his head. There was something so mesmerizing about him that he couldn’t erase. That was an odd feeling.

He couldn’t care less for boring people and yet—

“Excuse me,” A voice interrupted his thoughts. “You’re Izuru Kamukura, aren’t you? I’m Chiaki Nanami, the class representative. I was told that I have to show you around campus.”

“There’s no need for that.” He responded simply. “I know my way around.”

The petite girl couldn’t care less. She was occupied on her gaming device, tapping away at the buttons. It took her to respond, and she made no attempt in covering up her disinterest.

“...Okay.”

What a boring response. He was about to tune her out until she mentioned him.

“I saw you talking with Hinata-kun earlier, I think.” Her eyes were still glued on her screen, and she was still focused on tapping a combination of buttons on her console.  
Izuru didn’t respond. The girl waited a few moments, 8-bit music and sound effects from her console filled the silence in the room.

Gala Omega, he noted.

There was finally a sound that signaled that the level was over before she looked up and curiously and tilted her head. “Are you friends with him?”

“No.” He replied.

“...Oh.” This girl was slow. Izuru could care less, however.

He half expected her to leave him alone after, but she continued talking, to his honest dismay.

“Do you have any friends?”

“I don't need any.”

“Oh.”

She turned her attention to the stack of finished work on his desk. “...You’re a quick worker.” She commented.

Izuru didn’t respond, nor acknowledge the compliment. He didn’t feel the need to continue the conversation either. However, it seemed like she couldn’t take the hint.

“...Say, Kamukura-kun. Do you want to be friends?”

Izuru didn’t glance in her direction, but the situation was awfully predictable. He was being honest when he said that he didn’t need friends. He wasn’t interested in socializing with anyone at all, and would rather keep to himself.

However, he doesn’t care enough to heavily reinforce that either.

“I don’t care.” He responded. He didn’t mean for it to sound rude — people usually use that phrase when they didn’t have a preference for a certain thing. And that was exactly how Izuru felt. He had no preference.

Nanami didn’t look offended and instead took a seat at the desk in front of his.

“Okay,” She responded, setting her console down on the table and swung her backpack to her side, reaching in and grabbing another console. “Do you want to play?”

He knew that it was going to be a boring match, but he couldn’t deny the fact that it would be a little bit more entertaining than staring off into space. So he nodded and watched as she opened the console and brightly started talking about the game mechanics.

_As if he never played Gala Omega in his life before._

But he decided to save himself the trouble and kept quiet.

And of course, his calculations were correct. At the end of the match, he was met face to face with the winning screen. Nanami didn’t seem bothered, but rather cheerful. She mentions that she’d never faced had an opponent as skilled as him before.

Izuru wondered how that felt like.

 

* * *

  
Hinata didn’t know what he was doing.

Hell, he was confused the moment Izuru spoke. He was so familiar and yet so different at the same time. Wandering around the halls in deep thoughts wasn’t the best way to spend his lunch break. But he couldn’t bring himself to head out to the courtyard to join the rest of his friends.

He was too occupied with his thoughts.

He ended up sitting himself underneath the sunlight of the big window, letting his eyes flutter close and rethinking to the conversation he’d had with Izuru earlier.

_‘Why doesn’t he remember? What am I doing wrong?'_

His face - _that apathetic, emotionless face_ \- why was he so different? He was always so idealistic and charismatic.

He wondered what had happened while he was away that had caused such a major change in his personality.

Heaving a loud sigh, he rests his arm on his forehead, hoping to at least catch a nap before class resumes.

 

* * *

 

“You’re a mess.”

Izuru only stares. Matsuda grumbled and wiped the water dripping from his mouth. “You are so annoying sometimes. I’m not your fucking caregiver, Izuru. You have to be more careful.”

The man didn’t respond and only watched the neurologist’s quick, clumsy movements as he crumpled the paper towel into a ball and threw it into the trash can, completely missing it.

He cursed but made no attempt to pick it up.

Yasuke Matsuda wasn’t boring. At least, that’s what Izuru thought.

He had no regards for Izuru and didn't try to pretend that he cared for his well being— like the rest of the researchers. He didn't praise him or treat him with any sort of consideration.

He was rarely gentle, too. It was interesting to see the types of reactions he came up with. Although most of them were the usual aggressive tones, Izuru didn’t mind in particular.

He didn’t know much about Matsuda, but he didn’t care enough to ask either. So their relationship remains the same almost every day, and Izuru doesn’t care. He could tell that Matsuda didn't, either.

“Just because your body is perfect and artificial doesn’t mean that you can’t survive without basic necessities. They want me to monitor your health as well as your ability to consume normal human food and water.”

“I don’t see the reasoning behind that.”

“Well, I don’t either. They’re all a bunch of motherfuckers who want to make my life harder.” He spat, pulling out a sheet of paper and clipping it onto his clipboard.

“This is also required, too. And frankly, I don’t care. But if I don’t submit this report by the end of the day, they’d have my head. So tell me about your fucking day.”

The doctor stared expectantly and Izuru started to obey.

“It was boring.”

Matsuda raised an eyebrow, irritation showing on his facial features. Izuru didn’t know what he did wrong - he simply stated the truth.

“Details, you fucking loony. Give me the details of your day.”

And so, Izuru started retelling his day in perfect detail. He watched in disinterest as Matsuda started jotting notes down, not once glancing up at him. Eventually, he slowed down without finishing. The neurologist looked up at him expectantly.

Izuru paused, choosing his words carefully.

“There was a boy. His name is Hajime Hinata.”

Matsuda raised an eyebrow, before writing something down. “Okay, continue.”

“He approached me and acted as if he knew me before the experiment. I have no memory of him.”

“Okay, and what did he say?” He twirled his pen around idly and waited for him to respond.

“He called me his friend, but said he got the wrong person after I told him I don’t recall his character,” Izuru replied. “I don’t know him.”

“Yeah, you fucking don’t.” Matsuda hissed, before writing something down yet again. Izuru noticed that his handwriting was more jagged than before. “You have no recollection of anything before the surgery.”

“I know that.”

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up. Stop talking.”

Izuru did just that. A few concentrated, silent minutes passed before Matsuda spoke again.

“Anything else?”

Izuru proceeded with a short description of the classroom work and activities, followed by his new one-sided friendship with Chiaki Nanami. Matsuda asked him to describe her personality and his feelings towards his classmate. Indifferent, was his answer. As always.

He finally stops writing and rolled his chair towards him, letting out a tired sigh.

“Okay, everything seems to be in good condition. If you experience anything out of the ordinary, please notify me right away. I don’t care what the issue is - problems with shitting, hazy memories, what-the-fuck-ever. Just let me know as soon as possible. There could be potential flaws that we aren’t aware of.”

He nodded in response, and Matsuda gestured him out the door. “Now, if you don’t mind. I have a report to finish.”

Izuru stood up and made his way out of the room.

“Goodbye, Matsuda.”

“Yeah, shut up. And don’t come back.”

Izuru silently closed the door behind him, before walking down the hallway, getting ready to make his way to the dormitory. However, ahead of him laid a familiar figure dozed off by the huge window.

He knew that approaching him would lead to a predictable scenario, but he wasn’t in any hurry to return to his simplistic and boring dorm room either. It wouldn’t take him much work to finished his required assignments, anyway.

He stood in front of him, his shadow intimidatingly cast over the smaller figure. The boy’s eyes fluttered open at the sudden change in lighting and yelped, jumping a little at his sudden presence.

“A-Ah…! Izuru!”

Hajime Hinata. A boring individual, like the rest of them. However, it seemed like he knew more than most. It sparked him as odd that the man didn't address him using his last name. Matsuda didn't either, but that wasn't exactly strange of him.

"Good afternoon, Hinata." He greeted in the same monotonous voice of his. He watched curiously as the man jolted up and straightened his back, blinking the slumber away from his eyes. Izuru wasn't sure how anyone could fall asleep in broad daylight.

"Uh, did you need anything?"

"Nothing in particular." He responded, eyeing the man's fidgety movements carefully and analyzing it in his head. Hinata was uneasy — which wasn't unusual for anyone under his presence. He was told by Matsuda that he didn't have the most warming atmosphere surrounding him.

_Not like Matsuda has any say in that, either._

"O-Oh. Uh..." He drifted off, unable to say anything else. Izuru waited for him to finish his sentence, but wasn't surprised when he didn't continue.

They were both in silence for a while, with Izuru's crimson eyes tracking the tiniest of his movements and Hinata trying his best to avoid any sort of eye contact.

His boredom eventually took over, and he walked off without uttering a single a goodbye. He could hear Hinata sputter in the distance but chose to ignore it.

Awkward _and_ predictable. What a boring combination.


	2. Able Bodied, Feeble Mind

"You're doing everything too well."

Matsuda sat there with the clipboard, going through the documents clipped on with a troubled look on his face. The sound of shuffling could be heard from the other as he continued to go through countless pieces of papers on his desk. 

Izuru laid perfectly still with multiple cords attached to his body, patiently waiting for the daily checkup to end. He didn't respond to Matsuda, and he was glad that he chose to keep quiet. The man seemed to be in a bad mood lately. It wasn't unusual, but Izuru sensed that something wasn't right.

"Fuck," The neurologist cursed under his breath, running his fingers through his dark, ebony hair. "At this rate, we might have to double the assignments. I had my doubts but— shit."

He curiously turned his head to the side at the man who had suddenly stopped speaking. Matsuda looked distressed, pushing papers left and right, and ever so often accidentally kicking the metal trash can under his desk with his foot out of frustration.

After some time, Izuru finally decided to speak.

"Is something on your mind, Matsuda?"

"No, shut up. I'm thinking."

So Izuru stops talking and focused his attention back to nothingness. A few long moments passed before the doctor rolled his chair back to the side of the bed. He hit the side of the table, and cursed loudly.

"You're careless today." Izuru commented. 

Matsuda glared at him with those icy pupils of his, and Izuru showed no reaction of being deterred. He didn't react either when the other man yanked the cords off his body with a little too much force.

"Ugh, fuck off. Like I said before, you're doing everything too perfectly. That's a good thing, but they'd want to make it difficult for you to continue doing so." Izuru sat up and nodded. He knew where Matsuda was getting at.

"Anyway, time went by fairly quickly. Throughout the entire month, you've managed to create a thousand paintings in one sitting, write a twelve page detailed report in under ten minutes, and recreated a model of the Ushiku Daibutsu statue without any issues." Matsuda frowned again, and threw the clipboard down on the bed by his feet. 

Izuru glanced at it, before looking back at the doctor expectantly. 

"I've said this before. The reason why they didn't move you to the special course is because they want to see how you're able to adapt mentally and emotionally around others." He stood up and made his way to the cabinet, grabbing the same medicine he's been taking for a while and tossing the entire capsule at his direction.

Izuru caught it without a problem.

"You're artificial and frankly, they wiped out your ability to feel any emotions during the surgery. It gets in the way of being able to make good and logical judgments."

He wasn't sure why Matsuda was stating the obvious.

"But," He emphasized, staring directly at Izuru. "They want me to monitor your relationships with your classmates. And so far, the only person you've talked to at least once was that Nanami Chiaki girl."

He slowly walked to his desk and grabbed a half filled bottle of water (Izuru was pretty sure it was over a week old), throwing it towards him. He caught it, again, without issues.

"And what's your point?" He finally spoke. 

"Simple. I want to monitor your relationship with your classmates. But I can't do that if you don't make an attempt to befriend them."

Izuru's forehead creased ever-so-slightly. His lips curled into a tiny frown.

"...Befriend them? Why would I do that? They took away my ability to feel for a reason. It's quite foolish for them to do that if they wanted to see how I would behave around others." 

"Hell if I know?" Matsuda makes a face. "I guess it's a part of the modifications."

There was a pregnant pause as Izuru took those words in. Nonetheless, this sort of assignment shouldn't give him much of a bother. At least, that's what he thought. If he was good at analyzing things — which he was — social cues shouldn't be that hard to understand, right?

But Izuru wasn't ignorant. He knew that words weren't all that was needed in order for an assignment like this to be successful. Expression was equally as important.

...Or, he was thinking too deeply about it. He had the looks— that was more than enough for some people. But in a classroom full of eccentric individuals, Izuru didn't stand out at all. 

"You know," The neurologist began. "I've heard that Nanami Chiaki isn't really that bad of a person. If you're able to befriend her, maybe she'd introduce you to the rest of her friends."

"But I've already introduced myself." Izuru responded. "I don't need someone else to do it for me."

Matsuda stared in disbelief. 

"I... I don't mean it like that, you idiot. Are you sure that you're as intelligent as they say you are?"

Izuru blinked. The doctor only sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation. 

"Since Nanami Chiaki is the classroom representative, that means people actually _like_ her. If you hang out with her more often, it's very likely that people would start paying attention to you." Matsuda clicks his tongue. "That would mean that you'll gain more friends."

"Is that how you make friends, Matsuda?" It was a genuine question, and yet, the doctor glared daggers at him.

"I have no need for something like friendship." He scoffed, turning his head away. "Besides, I'm cooped up in this office all day. It'd be even more troublesome if I were surrounded by idiots. Like you. You're the idiot I'm talking about."

"I'm sorry to hear."

He watched blankly as the other man gritted his teeth in annoyance. Did he say something to provoke him? If so, Izuru didn't know what it was. 

But again, Matsuda was always irritated with something. It was probably safe to assume that his reaction wasn't completely his fault.

"Whatever," He responded. "I'm done with you for the day. Go away."

Izuru nodded, obediently swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. However, as he stood up, he felt a wave of dizziness crash into him, and was immediately forced to sit back down. 

Matsuda winced at the sight, and the frown he was already wearing deepened.

"You're not anemic, are you?" He asked, rolling his office chair back to his desk and grabbing the manilla folder sitting on the top of his desk.

Izuru didn't respond. Partially because he didn't know, either.

"...You aren't." He said through seethed teeth, and Izuru noticed the neurologist's muscles tensing up. There must've been some sort of physical side effects, he thought to himself. Hopefully it wouldn’t become a problem.

"I'll see you tomorrow." The doctor said, his voice a little too quiet for his usual self.

Izuru got up again— slowly, this time — and silently left the room, giving the neurologist his usual monotonous farewell. Matsuda waved him off, and Izuru closed the door behind him.

He stood still for a few seconds, letting his mind wander. 

_...Nanami Chiaki._

He rounded the corner of the hallway and slowly made his way to the courtyard of the school.

_Surely, this assignment couldn't be that hard._

He found himself letting out an irritated sigh as he pushed open the double doors that lead to the outside— 

"Oh, _heyyy_! You must be the famous Kamukura Izuru, right? One of stupid Matsuda-kun's patients! _Hii_!"

Izuru calmly turned around, only to meet face to face with a strawberry blonde girl wearing a way-too-wide smile plastered on her face. He scanned her up and down, and realized that she wasn't one of his classmates. He assumes that she was a grade below him. 

Her flashy look tells him that she is most likely a model or a fashionista. Izuru was sure that he'd seen her face somewhere in a magazine before, but he didn't care enough to remember her name.

The girl's smile dropped into a frown and her eyebrows went down. She defensively covered her chest up and pouted. " _Wooow_ , he didn't tell me that you were a creep! It's rude to look, you know?!"

Izuru didn't dignify that with a response.

She then continued on blabbering about something Izuru couldn't quite comprehend (or at least didn't care for). He thought about walking away from her but out of nowhere, she started skipping away from him and to the direction of Matsuda's office. 

Izuru brushed away the encounter turned his focus back to the courtyard, noticing the petite girl sitting on the rim of the fountain alone, her attention directed towards the small console in her hand.

He casually made his way towards her and hoped for the best. 

The girl seemed to be too busy with her game to look up at the looming shadow that was cast upon her figure. The sudden shift in sunlight didn't bother her, and the familiar sound of 8-bit music accompanied by the tapping of buttons filled the quiet and serene atmosphere. The expression plastered on the gamer's face wasn't short of anything but determination.

"Kamukura-kun," She greeted warmly, her eyes glued onto the device. "It's nice to see you again."

"Good afternoon." He responded, his tone all-too-flat. Not good. If he was going to befriend her, he figured that he had to at least make an attempt to sound a little more genuine. However, Izuru found that process to be quite the drag. Instead, he waited patiently for the girl to finish the round (signaled by the instrumental of the winning screen), before letting her guide the conversation further.

Not a moment later, she rests her device on her lap and yawned. Patting at the seat next to her, she gestured him to sit down. Izuru complied without a word.

"Would you like to play with me?" She asked, already reaching for her backpack that he’d always seen her wearing.

"I do not care." He replied, watching her as she reached inside and grabbed the blue console he'd remember playing the last time he’d talked to her. The small smile she wore on her face didn't once falter at the sound of those words. Most people would've felt insulted or hurt, but Izuru took note of how relaxed she seemed to be. It's no wonder that everyone in their class seemed to be fond of her presence.

She booted up the game console and handed to him, which he accepted silently. She helped him set up the match and they both sat in quietude, all too focused on the gameplay in front of them to say anything, to which Izuru appreciated. 

About an hour passed, and he was once again met with the winning screen for the fifth time that afternoon.

"Let's play again." She said suddenly, just as he was about to hand the console back to her. He glanced in her direction and was surprised to see that the girl was still chirpy after losing so many times. He tilted his head slightly.

"You've lost so many times already, isn't it frustrating? Why do you insist on playing again if the outcome's going to be the same?"

 _A question that he already knew the answer to._ It might've been a waste of breath voicing out the question, but Izuru wanted to hear her answer, even if it was awfully predictable.

Nanami, too, wasn't anything special. She was like every other person—boring. 

However, Izuru could tell that she had nothing but good intentions on her part. She looked normally quiet and reserved, but some part of her was definitely more lively when she's doing something she was interested in. Her calm demeanor was soft in retrospect— unlike his, which was leaning more on the unsettling side than anything. It made her easy to approach and he knew that it was the same for his other classmates. This was probably why the instructor had nominated her as the classroom representative.

"...Why?" Nanami hummed, and looked at the controller in her hand, fondly fidgeting with the two buttons on top of the frame. She closed her eyes for a split second, before reopening them and turning her head to face his direction. She responded, seemingly every word was dripping with sincerity.

".. It's not about winning or losing... It's about enjoying the experience. You're not supposed to play a game only for the end goal. The point of gaming is to relish every single part of it... I think." Her eyes twinkled with passion as she continued. "A lot of people forget that you play games for fun, not for the sake of winning. I enjoy spending time with you, Kamukura-kun. That's why I want to play again."

She paused for a second.

_"I think."_

How boring. That was exactly the type of thing that Izuru had expected her to say. After all, Nanami was _exactly_ that type of person. He could feel intense emotions bleeding from her explanation. Surely her confidence was a bit lacking, but there is no dearth of her ability to articulate meaningfully. 

He almost felt envious.

_...Almost._

"Very well, then. Let's play again." He finally said, redirecting his attention back to his device. Nanami smiled brightly and nodded, starting up her own game once again. Instead of sitting in silence this time, she commented idly every once in a while as they played.

And surprisingly, Izuru didn't mind all that much.

 

* * *

 

"It's almost dark. I'm assuming that you'll have to go home soon, correct?" He asked, looking up at the dusky purple and blue mixture of the sky. Nanami hummed in response and yawned, stretching her back before turning to face him.

"I had fun today, Kamukura-kun." She said, rubbing her tired eyes. Izuru nodded curtly, handing the console back to her to which she accepted gratefully. "Thank you for spending time with me, and I hope that we can do this again some other time... maybe."

They both stood up from their spot, and the same dizziness Izuru felt from before returned, causing him to momentarily pause to sit back down. His palm went to his face, and his eyes closed for a split second, the world spinning uncomfortably around him. Nauseated, he could only let out an unintentional groan in response. 

He slowly opened his eyes and saw Nanami looking at him, concern replacing the cheery expression she had on her face a moment ago.

"Are you okay?" She asked, curiously tilting her head to the side.

Izuru nodded, a wave of exhaustion suddenly hitting him. He’d never thought that spending time with another person would tire him out more than any assignment could. It was almost embarrassing.

"Just a little tired," He replied softly, before slowly standing up again. Nanami didn't seem to buy it, but she thankfully dropped the subject.

"...Are you going too, Kamukura-kun?" She asked curiously when he started making his way towards the building. He paused, realizing that the other students probably _don't_ live in the school.

"I forgot some of my things in the classroom." He replied calmly. "I'll head home soon, too."

The girl blinked and nodded, waving him goodbye as she exited out the gates, console in hand. He wondered if she was going to get home safely, especially if her eyes were glued onto a screen while walking. 

A part of him felt a little... _unsettled_ . For her safety, perhaps? He shrugged it off and tiredly made his way inside the building. _It wasn't his problem._

He silently walked towards the entrance of the school and absentmindedly headed towards his dorm, the sick feeling from earlier still persisting. The hazy thought of checking in with Matsuda crossed his mind, but he quickly scrapped the idea, not wanting to disturb the neurologist in whatever he was doing. He could tell him tomorrow, he thought. For now, he should get well rested and sleep the day off.

"Izuru?" A familiar voice called ahead. He wearily looked up, only to see a figure at the end of the same hallway they had met the month prior. 

_Hinata Hajime._

His eyes must've been playing tricks on him because there were _three_ Hinata Hajimes. He squinted, and the other two fused together, his sight refocusing. He leaned against the side of the wall for support, only to realize that the wall _wasn't_ there.

He fell to the floor, letting out a groan. The blood rushed to his ears and he could hear a harsh ringing sound that logically wasn't supposed to be there. Even though he was laying on the floor, the tenacious dizziness wouldn't ease. 

The last thing he heard was Hinata's frantic voice calling out his name before he closed his eyes, a wave of uneasiness crashing into him as he slowly succumbed into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

"Matsuda-kun!" A haughty voice sing-songed from the side of the patient's bed. The neurologist sighed heavily, turning his attention to the blonde woman who was heedlessly toying with some medical equipment.

He rubbed his heavy eyes, and muttered under his breath. "What is it now, you annoying bitch? Can't you see that I'm busy?"

The girl laughed obnoxiously and brushed her hair back, seemingly happy with the attention she's receiving from the doctor. "I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime? Like, on a date."

Before he could respond, much to his annoyance, she continued.

"It's not like I care or anything, fuckface! I just wish that a sexy beast like you would lighten up a bit, y'know?! You don't gotta be an ass about it!"

He sighed again. "No way. I'm already busy—"

"Help..!" The door burst open, and a brunet stood breathlessly by the door. Kamukura Izuru's arm was swung around his neck, his long black hair draping from his hanging head and onto the floor. His face was paler than usual.

Matsuda immediately stood from his spot and rushed towards them just as the boy dropped onto the floor from the weight of the body. The doctor hastily grabbed Izuru by the arm and carefully half-lifted him up, bringing him towards the bed. He shot Enoshima a glare, and she rolled her eyes before leisurely sliding herself off. 

He worked on connecting the cords to his body, and cursed under his breath.

"It shouldn't be anything too severe," He seethed. "Was he overworked? Perhaps there was some kind of—"

"Um, why don't you ask that guy right there?" The usual valleygirl voice asked from the corner of the room. Matsuda looked at the boy's direction, who was still struggling to catch his breath. His face was dripping with sweat, and the doctor wondered how far he had to drag Izuru here.

"I.. uh," He started nervously, pulling his collar. "I was going to head home but I saw him walking weirdly.. he fell down and lost consciousness after so I brought him to the nurse's office but nobody was there.”

This wasn’t the first time that something like this had happened. He recalled the way Izuru had stumbled when he stood up earlier that afternoon— if only he’d check on it before he left…!

He looked over at the heart rate monitor, relieved to find that it was normal. The man seemed to be in deep slumber. He made a mental note to check over his symptoms and possibly assign him new medications when he wakes up.

“Thank you for your help.” Matsuda said and the brunet nodded in turn. He looked concerned, but turned around to leave. However, Matsuda could tell that he wanted to ask questions.

Enoshima’s lips curled into a smile as the doctor closed the door behind him.

“Isn’t that the Hinata Hajime guy?” She mused, idly inspecting her nails. “You know, the guy who Kirigiri Jin thought that it’d be a good idea to move to the main course?”

The neurologist glared at her, clenching his fists tightly. 

“I knew that it was a bad idea to let you wander around my office while I was out. You looked through my files didn’t you?! What do you know about him?!”

Enoshima laughed, shaking her head in response. 

“Aww, babe! Don’t raise your voice at _me_! I know enough. He’s from that pitiful reserve course department, isn’t he? The boy probably sucked the headmaster’s dick to get in here. Ha!” 

Matsuda rolled his eyes, pressing his finger against his lips in hopes of her quieting down. She smiled innocently and obeyed.

He then groaned, cupping his face with his hands in exasperation. His head hurts, and he wanted nothing more but to go to bed.

“Apparently, he approached Izuru on his first day, too. I don’t know what the hell they were thinking. Inviting some stupid reserve course student here would only do more harm than good.

Enoshima shrugged, sticking her tongue out. “I dunno, maybe it’s another experiment of theirs. They like that a lot, huh? This Kirigiri Jin guy sounds kinda sexy!”

When Matsuda didn’t illicit a response, she only giggled.

“Aww, jealous? I’m only kidding.” She made her way towards him and smiled. “You must be sooo tired! I know how hard you work. Don’t worry, everything will be alright. It’ll play itself out. You just have to sit back and enjoy the show.”

“You’re acting as if it’s some sort of sick movie.” He muttered, irritably rubbing the nape of his neck. “Spoiler alert— it isn’t.”

Enoshima hummed lowly and leaned in so close that their noses almost touched. 

She didn’t miss a beat, and slowly hovered her lips above his. His tired eyes were half lidded, and he could feel his heart quicken a bit as _he_ almost closed the distance between the two.

She then smirked mischievously and quickly pulled back, much to Matsuda’s annoyance. A part of him felt… disappointed.

“Bitch.” He mumbled and quickly brushed it off, sighing heavily for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening.

“ _Oops_! Sorry, Matsuda-kun! Look at the time. My stupid good-for-nothing sister would be worried sick if I came home late! I lied to her about being in a club too, oh dear. I’ll see you tomorrow!” She chirped, before making her way to the door.

“Bye bye! You’ll get what you want sooner or later.” Her voice was almost teasing as she exited his office, and he couldn’t help but cringe at the sound of those words. 

_What a slut._

He took one last look at Izuru, before redirecting his attention back to the mountain of paperwork he had yet to finish.

It… was going to be a long night.

 


	3. Psychic Staring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this written out for 3 months but I never posted it so here you go.  
> Lacking some real good KamuHina content on this site.

“And that’s a wrap!” Souda cheered, wrench in hand as he stepped back to admire the work they’d done this past week. Hinata wiped a bead of sweat off his face and laughed sheepishly.

The medium-sized robot in front of them was short of nothing but applaudable. Hinata couldn’t help but feel proud of how much effort was put into the project. Beside him was Kuzuryu, who bit into a biscuit and huffed. 

“I can’t believe we agreed to join your stupid club.” He muttered, swinging his legs back and forth from the table he was sitting on. Souda rolled his eyes and pointed at the machine in front of them.

“But you have to admit that it looks cool, right? Don’t be heartless! Hinata and I worked hard on the designs and everything.” The man pointed at the brunet, who couldn’t do anything but chuckle airily. 

“Okay, but it was your idea, Souda. You should take the credit for it. I didn’t do much.”

Souda shook his head. “Nonsense. The only person who ‘didn’t-do-much’ was Kuzuryu. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“I-I suppose so,” He stammered, running his fingers through his hair in embarrassment. “But we have to test it out first, right?” 

Kuzuryu popped the rest of his snack in his mouth and extended his hand expectantly. Souda frowned and grabbed the controller from the table, holding it away from the shorter boy. 

“No way, dude. You didn’t do anything, so you can’t test it.”

Kuzuryu’s nostrils immediately flared and he slid off the table, hands balled up into a fist. Hinata braced himself for an argument to erupt.

“Listen here, you piece of shit!” He yelled. The brunet noticed how he had to stand on his tiptoes in order loom slightly over Souda. It was more amusing than frightening, but the pink-haired man must’ve thought otherwise.

“No, _you_ listen here you big baby! I’m not—”

“What the _fuck_ did you just call me?!”

“Hey guys, calm down…” He muttered, watching the scene unfold in front of him. Nobody seemed to listen to him, though. The shouting started, and Hinata could only stare helplessly as the two boys threw insults at each other, arguing about who should be the one to test it first.

He sighed in exasperation and shook his head, checking the classroom clock before realizing that there were ten minutes until six. After school clubs and activities were wrapping up and the school was getting ready to close for the night. 

Around him were metal equipment, sticky glue, and a whole bunch of screws laying on the floor. He groaned heavily at the realization that they had to clean up. 

And _fast._

“Can you guys _calm down_?!” He raised his voice, and the two boys finally settled down, albeit giving each other dirty glances. Hinata rubbed his temple and shook his head in annoyance, before pointing a finger at the clock.

“In case you _weren’t aware_ , we don’t have time to bicker. Now come on, let’s clean up and test it out tomorrow.” 

He half expected Souda to protest and for Kuzuryu to reply with a snarky comment, but they surprisingly both agreed and started wrapping things up.

Hinata only breathed a sigh of relief before returning the tools back to where they belong.

* * *

Cleanup took a while, but Hinata was just glad that they’d managed to get everything back into place. It was late, and the sun was already setting. He looked at the clock frantically, and back to his friends, half expecting them to pick up their things and leave already.

He still had to check in with the headmaster before he leaves for the day— and he was already ten minutes late.

“Oh shit, I better get going,” Kuzuryu muttered, checking his watch. “Peko is probably waiting. And Natsumi’s going to be a little bitch if I make her wait again.”

“Alright, bro. Go get your girl!” Souda mused, and the blonde shot him a menacing stare, in which the other shrunk back to. Kuzuryu then turned to Hinata and gave him a nod..

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said, before grabbing his bag and fast-walking out the door.

“Do you think there’s something between them?” The pink-haired male joked as he left, and Hinata playfully nudged him on the shoulder. 

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” He replied, shaking his head. “You should go soon too, right? Your dad would be worried.”

Souda hummed in response, picking up his bag as well. “He doesn’t really care, but I should get going anyway. Are you leaving too?” 

“Y-Yeah, I just need to get my stuff from my locker first.” He stammered, nervously scratching his cheek. “You go on ahead. Let’s walk back tomorrow.” 

His friend gave him a strange expression, and Hinata hoped to god that he wouldn’t pry for more information. To his relief, Souda nodded and made his way out of the classroom without another word. 

After the door closed behind him, the boy lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. A part of him feels bad for lying to his closest friends, but he felt like he didn’t have a choice. In a way, it was like he was working against them in some sort of immoral sense. It was as if he was breaking some sort of unspoken code.

However, this was for the best. He didn’t want to imagine the type of faces his friends would make if they found out that he didn’t belong here. The simple thought of their leering looks and taunting comments were enough to keep him quiet for an eternity. And his friends were better off knowing him as somebody who got accepted into the school because of remarkability, rather than a pathetic nobody who’d paid his way in.

After lingering absentmindedly for a bit, he snapped back into reality and hurriedly grabbed his bag, flicking the light switch off and exiting the classroom.

The hallway was quiet, which wasn’t a surprise. They were already supposed to be closed for the evening, and he mentally cursed at himself for not being able to keep track of time. Now he was going to be late for his meeting with the _principal_.

He started walking down the stairs, being careful not to trip on his own feet. Some of the lights were either dimmed or already turned off, giving the whole school an ominous feeling. He quickly made his way down from the third floor, his back tingling in the paranoia of being attacked from behind. It was an irrational thought, but Hinata couldn’t seem to shake the feeling off.

The main course campus was way bigger than the reserve course building for sure. He would sometimes still get lost, even if he was already comfortable enough with his surroundings to navigate through.

As he made his way down the hall, he saw a tall figure in the distance walking lopsidedly down the darkened part of the hallway. The long and dark hair instantly told him that it was Izuru. A feeling of alarm rushed through his body and a million scenarios started to form in his mind.

_Just keep your head down and don’t make eye contact._

Their last encounter wasn’t the best, and if Hinata recalled correctly, it was in this same exact hallway. What was he doing here so late anyway? The brunet was absolutely sure that he wasn’t in any clubs based on his past observations.

However, something was off about him. He was walking _way_ differently than what Hinata was used to seeing, swaying back and forth ever so often. After a few seconds, Hinata decided that he couldn’t continue following his mental plan of ignoring his presence.

“Izuru?” 

The man looked up, the dim amount of light in the hallway shone onto his ghostly pale face, and he couldn’t help but gasp at how sick he looked. 

_Did…  he always look like that?_

Being colorless wasn’t exactly a surprise for somebody who’s ever been under the ebony male’s presence, but Hinata could tell that something wasn’t right.

His suspicions were correct when the man suddenly dropped onto the floor, letting out a painful groan in the process.

“I-Izuru?!” He called, feeling his heartbeat quicken in his chest. The rush of adrenaline hit him hard, and he immediately dropped his bag and rushed to the man’s side, his face creased with intense concern. 

_Oh my god... What should I do? Is the nurse’s office even opened during this hour?_

He debated on running to get help, praying that at least some of the instructors were still present on campus, but decided against it. He didn’t want to leave the man there alone in the case of something unexpected happening.

Hinata didn’t consider himself to be the fittest, but he wasn’t weak either. He had stamina compared to most of his classmates and was fairly well built. 

If he was being completely honest, Izuru almost looked too heavy for him. He was broad and looked in shape as well, and the brunet could only pray that he wasn’t as weighty as he seemed. If he weren’t lying deathly unconscious on the floor, the mere thought of his well-built frame would’ve been enough to make his mind wander.

_...What an embarrassing thought._

“...Hinata…” The man murmured lowly.

He widened his eyes at the sound of his name from the frail voice. It was almost.. pitiful.

Izuru, however, didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that he was speaking. His eyes were shut tight, and his head rested on one side of the floor. Hinata’s breathing hitched and he grabbed the man’s arm, trying to support his body with his own. 

He stumbled a lot but was eventually able to successfully have him halfway propped meekly on the side of his back. His arm was around his neck which made it slightly uncomfortable to move, but that was the least of Hinata’s concerns.

“Hang on, alright? I’ll bring you to the nurse’s office… so just hold on.” Hinata looked to his side and winced at the sight. He looked even more feeble up close. The long locks of hair draped down from his head and clumped on the floor they were standing on. The brunet was almost worried that he’d accidentally trip over it and injure them both. 

He started making his way downstairs as carefully as he could. The nurse’s office was located on the first floor, but the corridors of the school were tricky. Since he’d never had to go to the nurse’s office, he wasn’t familiar with the directions. 

To his dismay, he ended up dragging Izuru’s unconscious body around for a solid 10 minutes before realizing that he wasn’t sure _where_ it was located.

He lets out a heaving groan, resting himself against a wall of lockers, sitting Izuru down onto the floor. The cool metal pressed against his back was enough to give his sweating body satisfaction for the time being.

He lets his head hang limply in despondency for a split second, before feeling a new rush of determination course through him. The least he could do was find a place for Izuru to rest easy. 

As he began to pick up the body again, he heard a voice coming from the end of the hallway.

“Do you require assistance?” 

The brunet turned around in surprise. There stood a student who he’s never seen before. It was hard to make out their features in the shadows, but Hinata could tell from their curves that they were female.

“A-Ah, yes please!” He said nervously. “Do you know where the nurse’s office is? I.. uh.. have a little problem here.”

The girl stepped from the shadows and into the light and Hinata took a closer look at her.

She had short, ebony hair that barely reached her shoulders. Her stoic eyes were grayish-purple and if Hinata squinted hard enough, he could make out a line of freckles coloring the bridge of her nose. Unlike the rest of his classmates, she actually wore the normal Hope’s Peak Academy uniform.

“It isn’t open after office hours, so there’s no point.” She responds flatly. Hinata noticed that her tone of speaking was quite similar to that of Izuru’s. They were both lacking in the.. _expression_ side of things.

“W-What?! Then…” He glanced at Izuru, who seemed to be breathing more heavily than when he first collapsed. The panic in his chest multiplied, and he scratched his hair in frustration.

What _could_ he do? Should he just _leave_ him here?

 He.. he couldn’t. He had morals.

Before he started physically panicking, the student speaks.

“I know of someone who could help you. There is a student in this school that specializes in neurology. His name is Matsuda Yasuke. Make a right from here and his office should be the second door.”

Hinata picked Izuru up from his spot and nodded graciously, already making his way past the girl. He quickened his pace and rounded the corner, only to realize that he never thanked her. He turned his head around only to realize that she was gone.

That was strange. He didn’t hear her leave.

He shook his head and hastily made his way to the office door and pounded on it frantically.

_God, he hoped this was the right door._

..Hopefully she didn’t mean the second door towards the _other_ end of the hallway.

The door opened and he was met face to face with a young man. Hinata had never seen him around campus before. His eyes were baggy and he looked tired. 

He only managed to get the word “help” out before the man immediately grabbed Izuru and dragged him to what Hinata assumed was a hospital-like bed. The man wasn’t alone, either. Sitting on the bed was a strawberry-blonde lady— he immediately recognized her as the well-known fashionista he’d seen on countless covers of magazines. 

So it _was_ true… Enoshima Junko _did_ go to Hope’s Peak. He had never felt more inferior than he did now. 

Both of them watched as the doctor— Matsuda Yasuke— stuck a bunch of cords into the collapsed student, a flood of curses filling the otherwise silent room (with the exception of his own piteous breathing).

“Um, why don’t you ask that guy over there?” Suddenly, both of their attention was directed towards _him_.

He blinked, his brain hurting trying its best to throw a correlating sentence together.

“I.. uh…” He nervously tugged his collar. “I was going to head home but I saw him walking weirdly.. So I brought him to the nurse’s office but nobody was there.”

The last part was a complete lie. 

Of course, he never made it to the nurse’s office but felt like it would be too much of a hassle to explain the whole situation. And it would be embarrassing to confess that he’d been wandering around aimlessly for over ten minutes dragging an unconscious body around.

“Thank you for your help.” Matsuda said curtly, and Hinata nodded in response. His head flooded with questions— was this a common occurrence? Since when did Izuru require physical help? He was very healthy when they were children.

_It also seemed as if both Matsuda and Izuru knew each other…_

He decided that it wasn’t any of his business and turned around to leave, stopping by the water fountain for a drink and trying his best to cool down before his _very_ delayed visit to the headmaster.

  
  



	4. Coalition

The first thing he saw when he regained consciousness was darkness.

The curtains of the office were draped together, obscuring the large window next to the patient’s bed. The lights were also off.

He glanced to the side and could make out a figure of a sleeping man passed out on the desk. Very slowly, he rose himself up, but colorful stars and floaters immediately filled his vision, causing him to lay back down once more.

_...What had happened?_

The last thing he recalled was making his way back to his room before collapsing. He rubbed his half-lidded eyes and blinked several times, adjusting his gaze in the darkness.

It wasn’t like Kamukura Izuru could see in the dark— he was talented, but he wasn’t supernatural. However, his vision was considered better than regular everyday people.

He glanced at the clock hanging across the room. It was half-past two in the morning, and he decided that there wasn’t any use in trying to entertain himself. It was going to be boring anyway. 

So he turned to his side and closed his eyes, deciding that going to sleep would be his best option at the moment.

* * *

“Izuru, wake the fuck up. You slept in late today and missed all of your morning classes.” The familiar sound of the neurologist’s grumpy voice awoke him from his slumber. 

From his peripheral vision, he could make out the figure of another student standing near the front door. The sharp piece of ahoge sticking out immediately betrayed the identity of the person. 

Izuru slowly sat up and was relieved to find that the dizziness he felt earlier that morning was gone. He glanced at the clock once again. Twelve-thirty in the afternoon.

Matsuda ran his fingers through his messy hair and grumbled (..something about Izuru waking up like a zombie) as he made his way to the medicine cabinet, taking out what seemed to be new tablets.

“You collapsed last night. Hinata Hajime found and brought you here.” He frowned, eyes narrowing at those words.

Izuru directed his attention towards the boy by the door, who awkwardly waved a wordless greeting. He gave him a nod of acknowledgment. 

“I see.” He responded. His eyes flickered to the cords attached to his body that he wasn’t aware of earlier. Without much thought, he unplugged them from his body and placed them aside, swinging his legs to the side of the bed.

“Can you tell me what happened?” The neurologist asked calmly, approaching the other student with an unfamiliar bottle of pills in his hand. “I ran a few tests on you before I passed out. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.”

He waved the bottle of medicine in front of his face, and Izuru took it without a word.

What.. exactly happened, anyway? He wished he could provide a direct answer. 

...Or maybe that was an exaggeration. He couldn’t care less. 

“I was walking. I passed out. There’s nothing else worth noting.” 

“Can you describe the state you were in? How did you feel?”

Izuru watched as he started tapping his foot on the white tiles of the office. His eyebrows creased, and his face morphed into a displeased grimace. The bags under his eyes were evident enough for him to assume that he didn’t get any rest last night— which was normal for… well. Matsuda.

“Dizzy.”

“I know that. Anything else? Distorted vision? Headache? You’re not helping here.” Izuru could tell that he was getting increasingly frustrated. 

“My vision was distorted and my ears were ringing. If anything, I think it’s just a simple case of malnourishment. You don’t have anything to worry about.” He replied, hoping to ease the doctor’s growing impatience. And also because he really didn’t feel like going through the tedious conversations Matsuda always comes up with about his health. Especially not with a nosy outsider within earshot.

“Malnourishment? Are you fucking serious? Have you been eating correctly? I thought I told you that your body…” He trailed off, realizing that a third party was still in the room. The other student had witnessed the entire conversation thus far.

The brunet must’ve caught on to the shift in the atmosphere because he blinked frantically and quickly waved his hands.   
   
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop! I.. uh. I just wanted to stay and check up on Iz… Kamukura.” 

Kamukura, huh? He idly took note that Hinata didn’t use honorifics very often.

“We’re in the middle of something,” Matsuda responds flatly. “You’re not needed anymore. Wait outside.” Hinata looked hurt but obeyed the neurologist and stepped out of the office anyway.

“No need to be so harsh,” Izuru commented, to which the other raised an eyebrow. 

“The irony of that entire statement.” He mutters, running his irritated fingers through his hair. “You’re one to speak, Kamukura Izuru.”

There was a short moment of silence that passed by. Izuru started fidgeting with the child proof cap of the medication bottle. It made an unpleasant grating sound, but neither he or Matsuda reacted towards it. Instead, the doctor continued.

“Hinata Hajime must be your friend if he’s spending his lunch period visiting someone like you, huh?” He inquired, taking a seat on the office chair. “Did you talk to him at all after he approached you?”

“No,” Izuru said plainly. “We aren’t friends. Though I do suppose that it’d be beneficial for me to get to know him, wouldn’t it?”

“Your assignment— did you make any progress with Nanami Chiaki?”

“I have. We spent time together yesterday afternoon. It was boring.” Izuru halfheartedly thought back to the gentleness of the pink-haired girl. She didn’t strike him as interesting, but she wasn’t too bad to be around either. Indifference. He did not care for her presence.

“Tch. If all your reactions are the same, don’t bother adding them in at all.” Matsuda muttered. “What did you two do anyways?”

“We played video games.”

“Did you feel anything out of the ordinary?”  His words dripped with sarcasm, and Izuru could only stare at him in response.

“Matsuda’s face twisted into a sour expression. 

“It’s because everything is predictable,” Izuru answered honestly. “If everything is predictable, then it’s boring.”

“Going by that logic, it makes you boring.”

“I suppose it does.” He said, “This conversation is boring. There is nothing to gain out of it.”

“It’s ‘boring’ for you to note that out loud too, shithead.” The neurologist retorted scornfully. “I don’t care. I don’t have time for this. I just need the details of your time spent with that girl.”

“I don’t know what details you’re looking for.”

“What? Can’t you figure it out yourself? You’re intelligent aren’t you?” He sneered.

“I’m not a mind reader, Matsuda.” He said calmly. “Unless you want me to spiel an entire lengthy novel to you about my time with Nanami Chiaki, you’ll need to be more specific.”

“Fucking christ.” The neurologist muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “My patience is wearing thin with your smartass.”

“I would’ve thought that it dissipated a long time ago.” 

“Shut the fuck up. I’m not here for your entertainment, Izuru. Just do as I say so that I can go back to doing more important things. Your rejoinders are not necessary and contribute absolutely nothing.” At this point, Matsuda’s mouth is curled into a disgusted snarl. Izuru couldn’t help but find minor amusement from his reactions.

However, that feeling melted quickly, and his reactions became predictable, which made it boring. It was nothing once again.

“Just get the fuck out of my office. And change that shitty attitude of yours, it doesn’t look good on you.” Matsuda snapped. Izuru was tempted to reply to the last statement, but decided that it wasn’t worth it. 

What more did he want from him? This whole discussion was now irritating him as well.

He stood up from the bed and placed the bottle of pills on top of his desk. Matsuda’s icy glare burned into his back as he walked out and closed the door behind him without another word.

The moment he stepped out into the balmy hallway, Hinata was by his side.

“Hey, are you feeling alright? You were out for a while..” 

“I’m fine.” He said blandly. “It’s nothing of your concern.”

The brunet frowned at his response but didn’t pry, to which Izuru was grateful for. Instead, he changed the subject.

“Matsuda… He doesn’t seem like a nice guy, huh?”

 “He isn’t.” In the doctor’s defense, Izuru knew that he wasn’t any better, either.

“Do you visit him often? I don’t see him around campus a lot.”

Hinata Hajime was very nosy. Though, Izuru was sure that he was just chasing for a conversation, to which he wasn’t interested. 

He took this chance to take another look over the brunet from head to toe. Besides the funny looking piece of hair sticking out of his head, he had no remarkable qualities that would stand out from a normal person. 

Hinata Hajime was plain and average, unlike the rest of his classmates’ eccentricity. If Izuru had seen him among a crowd of people on the streets, it would’ve never occurred to him that he attended Hope’s Peak Academy. 

With that being said, Izuru couldn’t exactly tell what his Ultimate title was, either.

“...Uh.” Hinata shifted uncomfortably in his spot, and Izuru figured it was because he was staring for too long.

“I visit him sometimes.” He replied shortly. 

“Oh.” Hinata shuffled a little, awkwardly looking at anything else but his face. “That’s… nice.”

Their conversation drifted into an uncomfortable silence. Izuru was going to walk away, but the thought of making another potential .. “friend”.. for his assignment glued his feet down and prevented him from doing anything discourteous.

However, the atmosphere was so intense and painful that even _he_ felt like he was going to suffocate.

“Hinata Hajime.” He found himself saying. “...That’s a boring name. Just like your appearance.”

The other student’s face twisted into an affronted expression. He lifted his head and opened his mouth to respond, voice laced with annoyance.

“What the hell?! Was that really necessary?!” When Izuru didn’t respond, Hinata took his chance at a poor rebuttal.

“W-Well! At least everyone doesn’t compare my appearance to that of a ghoul’s!” He frowned deeply. “And what kind of name is Kamukura Izuru anyway? Isn’t he the founder of this school? I guess that explains your creepiness!”

Immediately after those words came out, Hinata’s eyes widened in shock. And then his eyebrows furrowed into what Izuru thought looked like regret. However, he must’ve realized his sudden change in expression because he blinked rapidly, quickly neutralizing his features. 

“I’m sorry. That was.. Uh. Rude of me..” He said, casting his eyes down on the floor shamefully. He clenched his fists hard, and Izuru nonchalantly took note of the other student’s behavior. Hinata Hajime was so easy to read.

“Yes, he was the founder of this school.” He replied, seemingly unwavered with the brunet’s previous remarks. 

“I know that..” Hinata muttered, but Izuru pretended not to hear. 

“I did not choose my name. In case you weren’t aware of the fact.”

“Duh?” The irritation returned in his voice and once again, Izuru noticed how Hinata’s face naturally morphs into scorn to match his words. “What? Was I supposed to believe that you chose your own name immediately after birth?”

Again, Izuru elicited no response. Mostly because Hinata was asking a rhetorical question.

The outcome was predictable either way. Hinata sighed heavily, lowering his face into his palm in exasperation. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but immediately closed it afterward. He seemed tense.

There was another wave of uncomfortable silence.

“So… Do you like it? Our class, I mean.” 

Of course someone as plain as Hinata would settle for this kind of small talk. 

Izuru, once again, contemplated on walking away. The only thing stopping him from doing so was the absolute boredom that would follow. 

He was going to be bored either way...

“It’s fine.”

“Oh. How do you feel about Ms. Yukizome?”

“Boring. Predictable.” He replied honestly. Hinata looked displeased with his answer but continued the conversation anyway.

“I see. Did you make any friends? I think everyone here is pretty friendly. Uh.. you’ll have to get used to some of them though. Like Saionji, for example.”

It was already a hassle having to deal with Matsuda’s usual line of questioning, but having someone else asking the same questions provoked a small part of him. 

“I have no need for friendship.” He responded flatly. Hinata mumbled a small “geez”, and touched the nape of his neck— his body language gave away a lot (if the tone of his voice hasn’t already).

Before their poor attempt of a conversation further continues, a loud ringing could be heard overhead.

Hinata flashed him an awkward half-smile, before walking past him and to the students that are trailing in from the courtyard. He called out to two of his classmates— the mechanic and the yakuza— and Izuru felt the heavy mood from before lifting a little.

...Tiring. That was tiring. 

He decided that he was going to skip class today, mostly because he didn’t care. Although the school stressed about his attendance, Izuru didn’t feel like complying with whatever they had to say. Besides, he was already good with all of the topics they were covering in class. It would be boring to sit through a whole lecture of something he already expertized in.

Going back to his room would be boring, too. Since the researchers had implemented security cameras to track his every move, Izuru wouldn’t have his own privacy— not like he’d do anything noteworthy, even if said privacy was granted.

So what now?

He stepped out from the shadowy hallway and into the crowd of people. Keeping his eyes straight, he was able to push through the rest of the students and into the school courtyard, where only a few people were left lingering.

_Maybe he should try falling asleep in broad daylight..._

“Kamukura-senpai!” A familiar voice called from across the yard. Izuru looked to the direction of the voice and spotted the same girl he’d seen before from the previous day. Enoshima Junko wore a huge smile on her face as she skipped towards him, heart in her hands.

Izuru had never been properly introduced to her, but he had recalled seeing her name and face a few times in magazines. Of course, his ultimate analytical ability helped him deduce her talent immediately.

_...And she was way too obvious._

“Oh my god! So we meet again! What a huge coinkydink!” She folded her hands behind her back and leaned forward, her pigtails draping forward to her head frame. “Have I ever told you how hot you were? Like, literally. Only edgy goths wear so much black out in this hot weather!” 

Izuru maintained firm eye-contact with the girl.

“What.” He asked. Well, more like demanded.

Enoshima pouted, folding her arms for dramatic effect. Izuru wasn’t amused.

“Huuuh?! What do you mean ‘what’?! Are you skipping class too? Do you wanna go out for lunch? I haven’t eaten all day because my stupid good for nothing sister didn’t bring me anything! I hate her fat selfish ass!” 

He stared at her for a moment, weighing his options. Matsuda knew this woman, and this woman knew him. For some odd reason, he couldn’t help but wonder if they had talked about him behind his back. Was this Matsuda’s way of testing him? He wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. 

But because he had nothing better to do, he accepted.

“AWWWW! Really? You’ll do that with me?!” Her grin grew wider, and she clapped her hands together cheerfully. “I can’t believe that I’m having lunch with Kamukura Izuru-senpai! Matsuda-kun would be so jealous~!” 

Izuru didn’t have time to process those words as she started dragging him alongside her, pushing his face deep into her chest. He already felt a hint of regret seeping in, but decided that it would be more boring to turn back.

Suddenly, Enoshima slapped the back of his head and pushed him off, a look of disgust plastered on her face. He stumbled back, but was able to regain his balance thanks to his enhanced agility.

The girl wrinkled her nose and shook her head in disbelief.

“What the fuck are you doing?! You are soooo disgusting!” Her voice had changed into a more aggressive tone. Izuru watched as she pointed her index finger at him accusingly, shaking it back and forth. “Wait until I report you to the school! You’ve sunk lower than the kids at that prep school here! Man whore!”

_Prep school? Here? What was she talking about?_

He didn’t dignify any of her words with a response. She took this as a chance to continue.

“As compensation, you are required to pay the bill. That is an order!” Again, the pitch of her voice had changed, and her face morphed into a completely different expression, to the point of where Izuru didn’t recognize her. Was she.. switching personalities?

He came to the conclusion that it was a form of entertainment for herself. Upon realizing this, it quickly became old.

She must’ve sensed it as well because almost immediately, she reverted back to her original persona. 

“Okay, let’s-a go-a!” She chirped, pulling his arm once again. Izuru followed obediently. The gyaru gave him a knowing smirk, before leading him to the front of the school. 

The gates were locked, but Izuru could easily jump over the wall if he needed to. He wasn’t so sure about Enoshima, though. However, he was almost surprised when she pulled out a key from her chest. 

..Almost. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing that. 

“Do you wanna go to the convenience store? Or we could eat at a fast food place? Oooh, ooh! What if you treated me to a fancy dinner~? Well.. lunch in this case.” She snorted at her own words, throwing her head back into a loud laugh.

“I do not care.” He responded.

“Okie-dokie!” She inserted the key into the lock and twisted, opening the gate just wide enough for the both of them to walk through.

Izuru watched as she proceeded to slam the gate more loudly than needed after they both safely made it to the other side. The noise caused the gate to vibrate intensely, and Enoshima squealed in delight. 

She then began walking in the direction of the nearby corner store like nothing happened. Izuru trailed after her, wondering how quickly she managed to recover from her odd break of excitement. Her hands rested on her hips in confidence, and her expression was relaxed. 

“Anyways, you’re one of Matsuda-kun’s patients, right?” She inquired. “What are you there for?”

It was against school policy for a doctor to disclose details about another student’s health without their proper consent. However, Izuru wouldn’t be surprised if Enoshima had managed to somehow course the information out of the neurologist. Either that, or she had snooped around when he wasn’t present. There was no way she wasn’t aware of his situation.

“A pointless question.” He responded, narrowing his eyes. “You already know the answer.”

She smirked once again, puckering her lips mockingly. “Don’t be like that, babe! I’m just curious! Matsuda-kun won’t tell me anything!”

“That’s not true,” He said flatly. “You already know a lot, don’t you?”

“Whew! You’re more difficult than I thought you’d be!” She mused, cupping her cheeks together. “I like a man who could call me out on my bullshit!”

It was a stupid question and yet, Izuru found himself asking. “What are you to Matsuda? A friend?” 

Enoshima smiled widely and threw her arms up.

“I’m his girlfriend, duh!” She started laughing maniacally again, wrapping her arms around herself. Izuru tried his best not to crinkle his nose at her unsettling behavior.

Matsuda has a lover? Now that was definitely weird. Maybe he should ask him about it next time.

The particular street they were on was quite empty, and he estimated that if they continued walking at this leisurious pace, they would reach their destination in approximately seven minutes and fifteen seconds. Enoshima had already calmed down from her frenzied state, as if nothing happened.

“..Earlier, you mentioned something about a preparatory school around here. What did you mean by that?” Izuru was genuinely curious. He’d never heard that information being discussed around, even in such close proximity with important figures of the academy.

“Seriously?” The fashionista rolled her eyes impatiently. “It’s not fair that you get to ask all the questions! I only got the chance to ask one and you didn’t even properly answer!”

She has a fair point. A childish one, but it was fair nonetheless.

“Apologizes,” He replied dryly. “Was there something you wanted to know?” 

She proceeded to make an exaggerated humming sound. “Hmmmmmmmm… did you, like, ever do _it_ with anybody?”

Izuru raised an eyebrow at the question. “‘It’? What do you mean?”

“Like.. you know? _It_.”

“I’m afraid the question is too broad.”

“Oh my god. So you are a virgin.” Enoshima burst out laughing once again, repeatedly hitting her thighs harshly. Izuru wasn’t sure why her reaction was so perverse. 

He casually pushed a piece of hair away from his face. “Going back to the topic from before—”

“You still haven’t answered mine!” Enoshima said in between breaths, now clenching her stomach for support from the hurtful amount of laughter. “Have you done it?”

Izuru felt a hint of irritation rise from his chest. It was obvious that she was trying to humiliate him for her own entertainment. Didn’t she already respond to her own question?

“I’m assuming you’re talking about sexual intercourse? If so, the answer is no. I’ve never had copulation.” 

“‘Copulation’? Just say sex, Mr. Fancy-pants! You’re definitely not getting pussy if you can’t even say the word!” 

Izuru didn’t respond to her vexatious behavior. Instead, he directed the conversation back to his previous question. “So, can you answer my question?”

Enoshima smiled smugly. “I dunno, can I?”

...She must’ve noticed the atmosphere around them darkening because she continued speaking.

“Hope’s Peak has a Walmart version of itself within the school for the losers who don’t have a talent. They have to take an entrance exam and pay loads of money to get in. Sucks for them, right? Like, how desperate do you have to be?”

“I’ve never heard of something like that.” He said, raising an eyebrow.

“Of fucking course ya don’t!” She responded. “Nobody really talks about it around here. We just kind of co-exist, you feel? They obviously don’t like us cuz we’re better than them, though.”

Izuru slowly nodded. “This academy is elite, and the school itself knows that. It wouldn’t be surprising if they used this as an opportunity to gain more attraction and money.”

“Precisely! Hope’s Peak is full of old, balding men in charge. I’m sure you’ve met them before?” She idly looked at her nails.

“I haven’t met all of them,” He replied honestly. “I’m the most familiar with Jin. However, I don’t know the rest.”

“Jin?” She snorted at his words. “You guys are on a first-name basis?”

“That’s what he insisted on being referred to as.”

Their conversation ended as they finally stopped in front of the small convenience store. Enoshima beckoned him in, almost immediately complaining about the harsh air conditioning inside. 

“Turn that fucking shit down!” She yelled at the employee by the counter, who could care less about what she had to say. They chose to ignore her as she continued to complain about the weather. 

As she was doing that, Izuru uninterestedly scanned the items at the shelves. A bright green package caught his eye, so he picked it up and examined it curiously. Oddly, there wasn’t a label on it. However, based on the appearance, it had to be kusamochi.

Store-bought Japanese sweets couldn’t possibly be as good as the ones that he was capable of making. Not like he’d ever tried store-bought Japanese sweets before. He probably did prior to his surgery, but he wouldn’t have recalled.

Enoshima suddenly peered over his shoulder and grabbed the dessert from his hand, twisting away from him. “Oh? I didn’t know that you liked mochi, Kamukura-senpai! That’s so cute of you!” 

“Like is an overstatement.” He took another package from the shelf. “I do not care for sweets.”

“Wow, fuck you! What a party pooper! What kind of food do you like then?” Enoshima looked at the package with exaggeration. “Do mochi have expiration dates?”

“I don’t have a favorite kind of food. They’re all the same to me.” He paused, eyeing her inane scrutiny of the dessert’s packaging. “And packaged mochi could last years if it’s unopened. In contrast, fresh mochi could only last about a few days at max.”

“You’re sooo weird.” Enoshima placed the dessert back on the shelf. “What do you mean they’re all the same to you?!”

“I end up getting bored of the taste after a few bites. It doesn’t matter what kind of food it is; they’re all equally bland.”

Enoshima pouted. “Do you, like, pride yourself in being edgy? Because that’s what you are.”

“I don’t see how I’m being ‘edgy’. I’m simply stating the facts.”

The gyaru rolled her eyes, gesturing him away. “Whatever! You’re just a weird guy, I guess. It suits your taste in fashion. You’re both boring!”

Izuru blinked and said nothing. Instead, he put the mochi back and thought nothing more of it. 

“Aw, you’re not going to get it?” She asked. “It’s funny to think about the big bad Ultimate Hope eating something as adorable as mochi. We should, like, totally share! That would be so romantic, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have money on me. And I am not interested in sharing with you.”

“Ouch! You’re so rude~! Anyways, I’m going to see what else this wretched place sells. It stinks like ciggies in here!” Enoshima trailed off to another section of the store. He nodded in response and turned his head back to the shelves in front of him.

Izuru found himself staring at the kusamochi long after it’s been placed back on the shelf. Something about it felt awfully familiar. He just couldn’t seem to figure out what. Maybe he should come back here by himself next time. 

_And with money._

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
